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George Wilson: inspector of mines at Te Aroha
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Hart, Philip |
| Copyright Year | 2016 |
| Abstract | A Scot who first mined on the Victorian goldfields, George Wilson then arrived in New Zealand to fight in the Waikato War. Once mining commenced at Thames, he moved there, and was involved in this industry for the rest of his life. He was also active in the Thames community. He held several official posts at Te Aroha after moving there in the early 1880s, the most important being as the mining inspector. Before acquiring these positions, he had invested in mines there. He did all he could to assist the development of the Te Aroha field, notably by encouraging miners to become more skilled. His efficiency led to his being appointed as the mining inspector for Hauraki and then the chief inspecting engineer for the Mines Department. Before official duties required him to leave Te Aroha, he had assisted the latter community in several ways, notably in developing and improving the hot springs domain. His wife kept a low profile but was equally popular, and they died esteemed and respected by all. BEFORE OBTAINING OFFICIAL POSTS George Wilson1 was born in Banffshire, Scotland, in 1836 or 1837 to George, a carpenter, and Annie, whose maiden name was also Wilson.2 He migrated to Victoria, Australia, in 1855, where ‘he was engaged in mining pursuits until he volunteered at the outbreak of the Waikato War in 1863, and came to this Colony’.3 He enrolled in the First Waikato Regiment in Ballarat in September 1863, the regimental roll giving him the alarming height of six feet ten inches.4 From April 1864 until October 1867 he served 1 For photograph of him, see New Zealand Graphic, 16 January 1897, p. 57; for sketches of him, see Observer, 11 April 1896, p. 12, 14 November 1896, p. 19. 2 Marriage Certificate of George Wilson, 4 May 1882, 1882/1170, BDM; Cyclopedia of New Zealand, vol. 3, p. 894; Army Department, Nominal and Descriptive Roll, 1st Waikato Regiment, no. 1015, microfilm; Richard Stowers, Forest Rangers (Hamilton, 1996), p. 267. 3 Cyclopedia of New Zealand, vol. 3, p. 894. 4 Army Department, Nominal and Descriptive Roll, 1st Waikato Regiment, no. 1015, microfilm; L.L. Barton, Australians in the Waikato Wars (Sydney, 1979), p. 65. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10289/10365/No.%2053%20Wilson.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=5 |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
